Friday, June 2, 2023 / 11:48 am
A paparazzi photographer attacked US rapper Kanye West, accusing him of throwing his mobile phone on the ground during an argument between them in January in California, a paparazzi photographer said on Thursday.
During a press conference in Los Angeles, Nicole Lechmanik accused the singer, known as “Ye,” of causing “great mental and emotional distress” to the controversy.
The aforementioned altercation took place near a sports complex in Ventura, a suburb of Los Angeles, where Kanye West’s son and ex-wife Kim Kardashian was playing.
Shortly after snapping some pictures of Kim Kardashian, the photographer, according to her account, saw the rapper arguing with a rapper outside and began taking pictures of her on her phone from her car.
In the video shown during the press conference, the singer approached the car and insulted the female photographer.
In the video, the singer says, “When I come to watch my son play, you can’t chase me like that..stop filming.”
“I know that, but Kanye, you’re a celebrity,” Lechmanick replies, then continues filming.
In the rest of the video, the singer yanks the phone out of the photographer’s hands and throws it on the floor before walking away.
“I was so scared,” Nicole Leishmanik said Thursday, insisting the collision disrupted her “ability to work” and that she hasn’t “been the same” since.
His lawyer, Gloria Allred, said the photographer is seeking damages from the singer, without specifying an amount.
Fights between celebrities and paparazzi are not uncommon in California, as stars complain that they are constantly followed and harassed, and the paparazzi respond that these stolen photos are the only way to make a living in a highly competitive market.
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